in canada, parts of nova scotia were also under a hurricane watch. across long island, new york, the red cross readied shelters for the storm's arrival there, expected by tomorrow night. >> there are 25 shelters in each county, for a total of 50. the amount of capacity is an ample number of people. it is well in excess of 10,000 to 15,000 people that can be supported by those shelters. >> lehrer: for those who did stay to ride out earl, walks along windy beaches would have to do. officials imposed swimming bans up and down the coast, as conditions worsened during the day. and for the latest, ed rappaport, the deputy director of the national hurricane center in miami. i spoke with him a short time ago. mr. rappaport, welcome. >> good evening. >> lehrer: good evening. what's the latest on the storm as we speak, sir? >> at this hour, hurricane earl is centered about 200 miles to the south of the north carolina outer banks and it remains a considerable threat. it's still considered a major hurricane that's category three. maximum winds are about 115 mile